FEATURE/Looking For Love? Women.com's Top Ten High-tech Bachelors Are What Women Really Want.

Feature & Lifestyle Editors

FEATURE...

SAN MATEO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE FEATURES)--Jan. 23, 2001

Investors May Be Cold On The Internet, But

Women.com Finds 10 Reasons Why It's Still Hot

What a difference a year makes. This Valentine's Day, single cyber-workaholics may have some extra time to woo women, now that the high-tech industry is experiencing a dot-com shakeout. But a woman has to wonder, are there any survivors still worth dating? The romance experts at Women.com (NASDAQ:WOMN), among the top 50 most visited Internet properties, scoured both Silicon Valley (San Francisco) and Silicon Alley (New York) to find the cream of the techno crop, and today announced its second annual "Top 10 Men of the Internet" featuring high-tech's hottest bachelors.

In this feature, located at the heart of online romance www.women.com/sex/dating/netmen, visitors can view video clips and photos of the bachelors, listen to their mothers give the lowdown on their beloved sons, and even email the bachelors. The "Men of the Internet" feature also includes an update on last year's wildly popular picks for Silicon Valley bachelors, including "Where are they now?" and, more importantly, "Are they taken yet?"

To determine if these Internet men are boyfriend material, Women.com's romance team interviewed the bachelors with probing questions such as, "Can you cook a meal from scratch?" and "How long was your last relationship?" They also wanted to know if moms matter when it comes to a man's mating decisions -nearly 10 percent of men admit ending a relationship because a parent disapproved of him or her, according to a recent national study conducted by Women.com and Bruskin Research. And, approximately one out of six men report their mother attempted to set them up on a date. So, in order to get the real dirt on these guys, Women.com asked their moms about their sons' bad habits, high school girlfriends, as well as the most critical question, "Why is he still single?"

"Even though the gold rush may be over, we believe the men working in this industry are among the most dynamic, visionary and creative you would meet anywhere," explains senior producer Audrey Wong. "These guys are the types most likely to lead the industry's next generation. The Internet is still very much alive, and these bachelors have emerged as leaders to make good on the promise of new media."

About Women.com

Among the top 50 most visited Internet properties, Women.com (Nasdaq:WOMN), is a leading women's Internet network offering programming, community, shopping and personalized services that are relevant, interesting and immediate to women online. Uniting some of the most highly read magazine titles in the world, such as Cosmopolitan, Good Housekeeping, Redbook and Prevention, Women.com incorporates its assets into a network that is 200,000 pages deep and 18 topical channels wide. Women.com offers expert advice, in-depth information and unique services and tools to assist visitors in every area of their lives, from health to home, parenting to career. Founded in 1992, Women.com is headquartered in San Mateo, California, with major operations in New York City and offices in other U.S. locations. The Hearst Corporation currently holds a 46 percent equity position in Women.com. Other major shareholders include The Walt Disney Company, Rodale and Torstar Corporation.

Who Are The 2001 Men Of The Internet Bachelors?

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Silicon Alley Bachelors:

Women.com agrees with the New York Post that Jeff Dachis - co-founder of Razorfish, a provider of technology solutions to digital businesses - is one of Silicon Alley's "Top 20 Movers and Shakers." "Besides making a mean seafood risotto, Dachis has created a company that serves as a guiding light through the issues of technology and the rapidly changing Web," states Audrey Wong, senior producer, Women.com.

Omar Wasow, executive director of BlackPlanet.com continues to make content a contender. "Internet pundits cite niche content providers as attractive to investors because of their effectiveness in targeting specific consumers," says Wong. He's looking for someone who loves the outdoors and Seinfeld reruns.

Straight shooter Philip Kaplan is the creator of F***edCompany.com. "Kaplan's Web site hedges bets on the future fates of dot-com companies," explains Wong. "But he's not all cynicism. In December, 2000, he used the site to raise more than $16,000 for the families of the Edgewater Technology victims." The 25-year-old entrepreneur enjoys his drums, "The Simpsons," and Dr. Pepper.

"As director of business development at the nation's number one Internet service provider America Online (AOL), Courtney Williams remains a good catch," states Wong. He likes to spend his free time spinning the latest house, hip-hop, reggae and classic dance tracks at private parties, and claims he cooks great "takeout."

Rufus Griscom founded Nerve.com in 1997, a Webby Award-winning site dedicated to celebrating and liberating human sexuality. His mother's take on why he's still single: "He was a bit of a late bloomer - and he's been very busy with his work." His take: "I'm really picky. And also I'd like to pursue the strategy of marrying my second wife first." In the meantime, he spends his time indulging in overpriced hotels and watching HBO's "Oz."

Silicon Valley Bachelors:

"The Red Herring maintains a strong print and online brand focusing on business technology, which gives senior editor Peter Henig, a leg up," continued Wong. Henig describes his dream job as "writing a book, teaching a college course and hanging out with my future family."

"In a market where an estimated 90 percent of dot-coms are expected to fail, Sergey Brin, the president and co-founder of Google.com, has managed to position itself well among proven money makers," explains Wong. A native of Russia, Brin says he doesn't own a TV, and instead spends his spare time playing the piano, painting and wandering the aisles of Fry's Electronics.

"Elan Amir, chief technology officer at OmniSky Inc., represents the wireless sector, which seems to be the buzz word of the day," explains Wong. Amir's mom describes him as "very affectionate" with "a lot of love to give." He's also quick to point out that he can't boil water, but enjoys food - no matter how many calories.

"Alan Menkes definitely enjoys the finer things in life," states Wong. The partner and co-director of private equity at Thomas Weisel Partners, a merchant bank focused on providing capital and strategic advice to growth companies, wears Versace, drives a Porsche Carrera 4S and vacations in Aspen.

"I started my first company when I was six, selling worms to fisherman at the lake near our house in New Hampshire," says bachelor James Currier. At age 33, he's moved onto bigger and better things when he founded Emode.com, which offers research-based self-discovery quizzes aimed to improve the way people discover and connect with information, entertainment and one another in the 21st century.